Week 1 Storytelling: The Downfall of the Conceited Jackdaw

Somewhere far away there was a wide open space of land, with two large trees that were set close to each other. In one tree an Eagle was calmly resting with her children in his nest. In the other tree, a Jackdaw was also in his nest. The Eagle and the Jackdaw never got a long as the Jackdaw always attempted to cause trouble with the Eagle. He would challenge him, pester him, and cause all sorts of mischief. Even though the Jackdaw was smaller than the Eagle, he had a huge attitude.

On one cloudy day, the Jackdaw flew the short distance to the Eagles' tree where he and his children were minding their own business.

"Hey! Are you up for a little fun today?" the Jackdaw eagerly asked the Eagle.

The Eagle took a deep sigh and said, "Not today, Jack, not today. I'm really not up for it."

"Oh, come on. It's just a fun little challenge. Hear me out. I'm betting you can't go over there and pick that lamb up. I bet you're too weak just like everyone thinks you are!" said the Jackdaw. "I, on the other hand know I could easily pick it up!"

"Jack, I don't care. I don't want to do your little challenge."

"Ha! If it's so little then why not do it? Is it because you're too weak? Are you afraid of some competition? Are you afraid I will show you up?"


Usually the Eagle wouldn't give in to the Jackdaws numerous antics and challenges, but today he was fed up and decided to go about things differently in order to hopefully make living where he did calmer for both him and his children.

"Fine," the Eagle exclaimed.

The Eagle flew over to the lamb and easily picked it up. Seeing this, the Jackdaw scoffed and said:

"Pfft, that's nothing. That's too easy! Let me show you how it's really done. Let me show what real strength looks like"

The Jackdaw spotted a ram nearby and believed he could pick it up. He flew over to the ram and attempted to lift it. He pulled and pulled, but ultimately failed. Not only that, but he was stuck!

The Eagle, laughing, swooped up the Jackdaw and flew back to his nest where his children sat waiting for their father's return. The children saw their father with the Jackdaw and grew curious.

"Did you teach him a lesson, father?" one of them inquired.

"I sure did, son, and I hope you all will learn something from this as well."

"Western Jackdaw"
Source: Wikimedia Commons

Authors Note:

"The Eagle and the Jackdaw" is a fable telling the story of a Jackdaw who believed he was much stronger than the Eagle. He saw how the Eagle was able to pick up a lamb and thought he could do better. Therefore, he tried to pick up a ram but couldn't. Instead, the Jackdaw got caught up in the wool of the ram and the Eagle clipped the Jackdaw's wing, took him back to the Eagle's nest, and made a mockery of him to his children. I decided to put more of a background to the story and give the characters more of a voice. The way I remade it, readers can see more of the Jackdaw's vanity and how he got himself into that mess and how the outcome came to be what it was.

Bibliography:

"The Eagle and the Jackdaw" by Asop, from The Asop for Children (2006). Web Source: The Project Gutenberg Ebook